Qui est-ce qui or qui est-ce que?

Question

I'm confused on when to use 'qui est-ce qui or qui est-ce que at the beginning of a sentence'. In each case the translation was 'who did such and such'.One or the other have been given as a correct answer but I haven't worked out which one for which circumstance. What is the rule please.

Answer

Bonjour Renate !

Have a look at our two related lessons, and let me know if it makes things clearer :)

https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/how-to-ask-whom-qui-qui-est-ce-que-questions
https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/how-to-ask-who-qui-qui-est-ce-qui-questions

À bientôt !

Answer

So, I can use either one of these when the person is not the one doing the action? I can't remember the examples that set this off but I remember that in each case I was marked wrong so perhaps I used the que when the person was the one doing the action. I will continue to work on it.

Answer

qui is the subject ie the one doing the action que is the object of the action, so:
Qui est-ce qui aime Renate?
Qui est-ce que Renate aime?

Answer

Qui est-ce qui aime Renate? -- Who loves Renate? (Who is it that loves Renate?)
Qui est-ce que Renate aime? -- Renate loves whom? (Who is it that Renate loves?)

Qui = the one doing the loving in the first example.
Que = the one being loved in the second example.

-- Chris.